Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Whole Grain Caramel-Rum Squares

Here's another winner from King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking. Nutty, chewy and gooey, these bars are a delicious way to incorporate whole grains into your baking. And the little nip of rum takes it all to another level.

To prepare the crust: Whisk the oats, flour, brown sugar, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Add in the orange juice and melted butter, stirring till thoroughly combined.

Measure out 1 3/4 cups of the crust mixture and spread it in the prepared pan, gently patting it down. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then remove it from the oven and set it aside to cool while preparing the filling.

To prepare the filling: Melt the caramel, milk and rum in a small saucepan, stirring constantly until smooth. Pour the thinned caramel mixture evenly over the baked crust. Sprinkle with the almonds, then spread the remaining crust mixture over the almonds.

Return the pan to the oven and bake for 12 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle them with the chocolate chips. Let cool until chocolate has solidified before cutting.

Don't you just love King Arthur flour? These look SO good... I'm cooking for one tonight, and I think I might just make these for dinner! I could probably eat the whole batch... but hey, they're whole wheat, right?

I'm going to make these this weekend for "craft services" for the little movie my husband is making, and I have a question: what kind of rum did you use? Specifically, is a "spiced" rum such as Captain Morgan's ok, or do I need to buy grownup rum?a

About Me

This is my documentation of my life after turning 50. Lots of recipes, some healthy, some not so much... tossed up with a hefty dose of sarcasm and motherly love.
My email address: maggielauerrdh(at)yahoo.com